Mechanism for knitting upon-transferred fabric sections.



A R. w. SCOTT. MECHANISM FORKNITTING UPON TRANSFERRED FABRIC SECTIONS.

APPLICATION FILED I JEC. I8. 1913.

Patented Aug. i7, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

R. w. scoTT.

MECHANISM FOR KNITTING UPON TRANSFERRED FABRIC SECTIONS. APPLICATION FILED- DEc. T8. 1913.

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CUTTER ma R. w. SCOTT. MECH'ANISM FOR KNITTING UPON TRANSFERREUFABRIC SECTIONS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I8, 1913.

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l R. w.s`coTfT. MECHAQNISM FOR KNITTING UPON TRANSFERRED FABRIC SECTIONS.

APPLICATIONHLED DEC. I8. 1913.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

f T u I, ROBERT W. SCOTT, 0F BOSTON, MASSAGHUSETTS.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ang. it, lois.

Continuation in part of application Serial No. 746,070,1ed February 3, 1913.' This application filed December To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of-Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Knitting Upon Transferred Fabric Sections, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for Arendering more certain the transfer of a previouslyknitted section to a machine for knit- Y ting a part or all of the remainder of a plain fabric article,..such as a stocking, and to means for causing the knitting of the article upon the transferred fabric t0 'be begun with certainty, and with as few and simple hand' operations as possible.

One object of my invention is to provlde devices for preparing the'knitting machine for transferring a previously knit section of fabric such as a rib-top by hand, and for insuring the beginning of knitting by the machine in a certain manner, without intervention by the operator. v r

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical centralcross-sectionl through a suiiicient part of an automatic circular stocking-knitting machine to illustrate the application'of my new devices; Fig. 2 is a plan partly in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partial -front elevation of the machine showing the cam or pattern shaft; Fig. 4 is a diagram development of the pattern drum; Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5 5, Fig. 6, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the position of a needle, a webholder and a transfer quill during the transfer operation; Fig. 6 is'a horizontal section o'n a large'scale taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, showing the webholders, the needles and the web-holder guide ring; Fig. 7 is a diagram development of the needle cams illustrating the level position of the butts of the needles; Fig. 8 isa perspective illus- -trating one construction of the web-holder4 guide-ring; Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a modified device; Fig.' 10 is a side elevation of a form of web-holder employed in connection with the construction of Fig. 7; Fig. 11 is a plan view of the top 181913'. seri-a1 No. 807,535.

of the latch ring; 12 is a diagram development showing the needles, the webholders, the needle cams and the new yarn Fig. 13 1s 'an enlarged diagram plan at the yarn feed point, showing the needles, and the needle' defiector; Fig.`14.is a vdetail section on the line l14-14 of Fig. 11 on an enlargedscale; Fig. 15 'is a detail perspective of the belt-shipper cam; Fig. 16 is a detail section showing the modification of one of the yarn guide actuating cams; Fig. 17 1s a detail; illustrating the use of a certain form of needle. I have showny my new devices in connection with a hosiery knitting machine having a revoluble needle cylinder 260 splined on and driven through the sleeve 251 central Q with 'a bevel gear 30, suitably mounted to be driven by a bevel ear 31 (Fig. 3) in a depression vof the be 'or tableD, upon which the stationary parts ofthe knitting head are mounted. The needle cylinder 260 is lprovided with a webholder bed 295 atinder 260 The needles a are divided into a set having long butts and a set having short butts, for the usual stocking knitting purposes. ,y

Coperating -with the needles Vand the needle cylinder a relatively fixed lcam ring 271 is suitably mounted, and equipped with cams having an idle ledge or level 4, Figs. 7 and 12. The ring 271 is-cut away at one point to provide slopes 5, 5 centrally be tween which center cams 8 and 9 are mounted, for instance on a standard 35,5, Fig. l, attached by screws,`l as shown, to the ring 271, the cams 8 and 9v preferably being level with the ledge 4. The'cam ringl Or cylinder 271 is thus provided with cams 'defining two i horizontal planes, between which -there is a free level path for the needles. In the absence of the stitch cams about to be described a needle dis laced vertically within the limits measure by the slopes 5;"5, or

the retracting slopes of the top center cam 8, will be returned to said level upon movement of the needle carrier relatively to the cams. The level so .defined is intermediate of the extremes of the movement given to the needles during normal knitting.

Working between the slopes 5 and the.

sloped ends of the cam 9 stitch cams 6 4and 7 are mounted, for instance upon a halfring or segment 370, Fig. 2, which is guided for radial movement with respect to the needle cylinder and cam ring o n the plane central of the cams 8 and 9. I prefer to employ forguiding the segment 370 parallel slots 371 'formed in a horizontal flange of said segment' to receive shouldered holddown screws 369 taking intothe bed-plate of the machine, and a gib or key 372 sliding in a key-way formed in the bed D, for instance as shown, central on the plane of Fig. 1. The segment 370 is held toward the center of the needle cylinder by the spring 379 housed in shallow bores in said ring and in a post 401 erected on the bed D at the back of the machine. Y

In machines of the class which- I have illustrated, the needles n, are frictionally held in their grooves, for instance by later- Aally bending the needles, and it will be understood that the purpose of permitting the cams 6 and 7 ,to be removed is to bring the needles to a level in order to enable them tomate with the quills of a transfer cup or ring T, Fig. 5, upon which a piece of fabric suchas a rib-top to'be transferred is imlpaled loop by loop, which transfer ring may be such a structure as is familiar in the prior art.

Prior to the beginning of 'a new series of operations for another stocking or garment section, the knitting upon the previous garment will have ended, for instance by the remgval of the knitting yarn from operative contactjwith the needles. Means for this purpose may comprise a thrust bar 460c guided at one end in a comb 462 fast on the upper end ofthe standard 401, andat the other end resting against a fixed stud 450 attached to the machine frame and guided ina comb 451 attached to said stud.

The rounded lower end of the thrust bar l 460c rests against and is held by gravity toward the surface of a pattern drum 120, lmounted to rotate on the stud 76, which is yconnected by a gear train 122, 123 to one end of the cam shaft 80, Fig. 1, intermittently' ,actuatedv during thev automatic knitting of an article'by means of a rack wheel 81 and a pawl 82 under the control of a pawl-controllerl 83, positioned by lugs on a pattern chain 85, which pattern chain is intermit- V tently advanced throughout the movement of the machine. Cam shaft 80 carries at i one end a belt-shipper cam 106 coperating with a lug 114 ,on a vbelt-shipper 100, to

cause the belt'to be shifted from the active A Y i pulley 47 tof the idleppulley 43 once during each revolution of the shaft 80 and the drum 120. I Said Ibar 460c coperates at its lower'end with a cam503 carried by the pattern drum to move by contact with its -upper end a yarn guide F pivoted at 554 all but-one may be' held in an upward idle position by suitable cams 503, 503", etc., placed similarly to the cam 503 in the drum 120 at the approaching end of knitting, or all of said guides F then in an operative position may be simultaneously elevated to remove all yarns from the needles. Elevation of the bar 460 for instance will elevate the active yarn guide F from its `active or yarn-feeding position of rest, shown in Fig. 1, on the throat plate 559 bridging the slot in the latch ring, so as to bring its inner end above and within the, needle cylinder. This movement of the yarn guide F made against the stress of a spring f between said yarn guide and the pivot 552, will occur at the end of knitting one article or section. The

elevated yarn guideF will then guide theV cutter comprislng' a fixed -blade 614, andu movable blade 61,3, actuated by a'vverticalK vshde 608, in turn operated by a horizontal lever 611 pivoted at 610 l'on the latch guard ring, the outer end of which lever rests above a thrust bar 460g similar to the bar ,460, which thrust bar 460g may be actuated by cams 506 suitably placed on the pattern drum 120.

A yarn thrown to the interior of the needle cylinder will be guided near thel upper surface of the plate 602by a fixed guide 604, and clamped upon said upper surface by one endof a lever 606 pivotedon a stud 607, actuated by a spring 609 upon the upward movement of the '.cutter, its

other end taking under pin 603 entering the cutter slide 608, to open the clamp when the cutter slide 608 ,is depressed.

The latch guard ring 300 and its attachments, including the internal yarn' guiding and clamping member 602, the yarn cutter, its actuatinglever 611, the yarn guide or guides F, etc., may be swung about the pivot 552 to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 in lorder to permit access to the heads of the needles for the transfer operation. This removal-of the latch guard ring 300 and its attachments is made by hand, after the last yarn guide F in work has been thrown to its upper and inner idle position, and the cylinder rotated at least one revolu- 'tioii with the needles and web-liolders /in action, to cast off the fabric from the needles; and after the yarn has been clamped and cut, and the machine stopped.

The machine so far as described above might well be for the purposes of certain combinations claimed herein, any knitting machine of the prior art having independently movable needles, independently movable web-holders, an actuated yai'n guide, and a pat-tern actuated stop mechanism. I prefer, however, to employ the devices about to be described in connection with the par,- t

ticular machine chosen for illustration. I do not herein claim the said machine, which is described andclaiiiied in my application Serial No. 746,070 filed February 3, 1913 (of which this application is in part av continuation) except as to those parts and combinations of parts pointed out in the appended claims.

The devices now to be described are in'aid of a rapid and certain transfer and the beginning of subsequent knitting.

So far as I am aware it has heretoforel been necessary, in order to effect the transfer of a rib top or other previously formed fabric to the needles of a circular independent needle machine not only to level the needles but .to provide some sort of support for the needles when level, to enable them to maintain their gage or distance apart, and so mate with the quills g of the transfer ring T. Usual means for this purpose have comprised mechanism for leveling the needles upon a. comparatively low path in a special groove of the cam ring, in order to bring the needles to a low position in the cylinder. to enable the ends ofthe grooves in the cylinder to support them at a point near their headsgor the needles have been liftedV awayy from their 'knitting cams, or above the normal `level of their knitting cams into .an elevatedpath with respect to the needle cylinder, which is thereafter "lifted to carry the verge or edge of the needle cylinder into a plane to` support the heads of the leveled needles. In the former case, undue complexity of the .cam ring and venting movement of the-needles with the In the machine I have selected as a prefei'i'edinstance, the level of the ledge 4, and

of the top of the bottom center cam 9 is that center cam S in its fixed operative position.-

The center cam 9, while useful as a guard and positioning cam for needles moved by cam 8, is not essential, and I may not prof vide it `in some cases. In'one construction for removing cams G and 7 the gib or key 372 is provided with extensions 373 bored to receive a removable pin 374, which may be held in place by set screw 37 5.

The extensions 373 and the pin 374 t0- gether constitute a yoke surrounding the thrust bar J.(50 which is provided with a cam lug 4G normally out of contact with the pin 374 in the extensions 373, but which may be brought against the said pin to move the segment or lialf-ring 370 and the attached stitch cams (5 and 7 radially outward with respect to the/center of the needle cylinder whenever a cam 121 on the pattern drum 120 passes `under the lower rounded end of the bar 400, which may be cut off at the top asshown in Fig. 1.

The needle cylinder, in order to level the needles, may be rotated after the cam 6 and 7 have been removed,'either.'prior to the 4stoppage of the machine, or after it has stopped. In either case the cam 121 will remain under the thrust-bar 460 during this rotation which will be of an extent of at least one-lialf of the angular magnitude of the extremes of the slopes 5, 5, to enable the center cam 8 and one of said slopes respectively to bring the needle-butts to the level of the ledge Ll. I pi'efer, however, to level the needles automatically prior to the stoppage of thevmachine as an incidentof the end of the operation upon a prior article.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 4, the pattern drum 120 will at the approaching end of the article be brought to a position at which the cam 121, the cam 503, and the cam 506 are about to encounter their respective thrust bars 460, 460C, and 460g. Indications upon the pattern drinn, which have rbeen active prior t0 this time may comprise means to move thrust-bars similar to bar 400, or other indicating elements, to control the operation of a switch cam, of a widening Apicker or pickers, of yarnchanging yarn gliides, and of connections 2,81 operating I wheelSl andthe pawl 82 at'intervals of a through the pins o256, and column 280 to alter the length of the stitch, as well as other mechanisms governing the production offabric, such as the leg, heel, foot and toe of' a stocking, for instance as in the machine of my said application Serial No. 746,070.

Referring now to'Fig. 1, the location of the cam 121, the cam 503, the cam 506, etc.,v with respect to the drum 120, the gear train 122, 123, 'the' cam 80 'and the belt shipper cam 106 (Figs. 3 4 and 15) is such as to bring the face of the cam 106 active to stop the machine in line with the middle part of the cams 121 and 503. Movements a're imparted to the shaft 80 through the rack 'definite number of revolutions of the needle cylinder 260. The movement of the pattern drum 120 which determines the passage of the cams 121, 5 03, etc., under their respective thrust-bars will therefore occur prior to f the stoppage of the machine by the action of vthe lcam 106, and the needle cylinder 260 "will rotate through a predetermined extent say from one to four revolutions) after the cam'503 shall have acted upon the thrust ..1 bar 460 to elevate the yarn guide F toremove theyarn from the work; after the cam i* 121 shall have actuated: the thrust bar 460 vto move the half ring 370 to its outward position, and after the cam 506 shall have actuated its thrustloar and the yarn cutter and clamp 613, 614 and 606 to cut and clamp theyarn, now thrown above and inwardly of the needles, before the'machine comes' t0 a stop. The revolution of the needle cylinder 260 after the actuation of the bar 460 and the withdrawal of theA stitch cams will 'i `have causedl the needles to `come' to alevel corresponding to that of the ledge 4.

I prefer to form the cam 106 shown in i Figs. 3, 4 and 15`to coperate with the lug 1114 of the belt-shipper ,slide 100 4to stop vthe machine yat the end of its cycle, as an ad- 'Justable attachmentl of the shaft. 80; for 1in- `stance by vmounting it on the face ofthe sgeed changing cam 102 by screws taking rough slots 106.. Said cam -106 is proevided with a step 106 on its-leading face,

"to permit a halt of the belt u on its passage from the high-speed pulley 4 f, at the inter-l l Y mediate-speed pulley "42, to slacken'speed idle pulley 43.

v prior to stoppage bv shifting the belt on'the Ihe belt may remain. on pulley 342 'between two successiveforward movements of shaft 80 and durin several revolutions of the knitting head. he pull."ley47 may be geared to themain shaft 32 a gravity latch 112 taking against a projection of lug 114 locks the shipper againstv farther movement to the left.

The high part of the cam 106-is arranged upon the shaft 80 so as to come within the angle swept by the lug 114 under a forward impulse of pawl 82. This causes the shipper 100 to move to a position to stop the ma.

chine justprior to the completion of the movement of the cam 106 in which position the shipper is locked bythe latch 112. Momentum of the machine is suliicient to com-l plete the stroke of the pawl 82, carrying the high part of the cam 106 beyond the lug 114, and leaving the machine ready to be started at a slow speed upon releasing said latch 112.

In the machine as shown in the drawings it will be noticed that the needle grooves proper of the needle cylinder do not extend above the grooves 262 in the iange upon which the web-holder bed 295 isffmounted.

This is to enable the inboard ends of the web-holders 290 to be guided in a guide ring or nosing ,297, substantially of the .structure patented to Geo. D. Mayo No. 726,178, April 21, 1903, comprising an inf ternal groove, the upperand lower walls of which guide the lower arms 292 ofthe webholders to accurately position the knockingover surface formed by their upper arms 291 vin aplanel `perpendicular to the needles, `and in which the web-holders are spaced by the wallsI 310 (Fig.8) left between radial longitudinal slots 311 milled in the outer face and through the upper end of said ring 29 As shown in said patent, the-grooves 26 ofthe needle cylinder 260 might well be. carried to a point nearer the vheads of the needles, but ending beneath the web-holders, while still Jretaining the advantages of the ring 297, but I prefer to proportion thev parts, substantially as shown in Fig. 1leaving the considerable free clearance space 298 v between the web-holder bed'296, the outer face of the ring 297., and the -facesof the needles when theyl are in position. W'henthe grooves 262 end either at the point shown inA Fig. 1, or at the higher point de- I fined by the bottgms of the web-holders, these walls are "st 1,1 too far. beneath the heads of the needles, when they. are posi-- I f tioned` as shown in Fig. 1, to afford vsulcient lateral support to the needles to .space them `for the transfer ring, especially in the'case vof machines of fine gage,\in which the needles may be very thin and resilient, and in which individual needlesmafrequentlybe found to have impressed bends, causlng themA .to bev misspaced when Amuch project-A ed lieglond their guiding? grooves.

erring nowto Figs. 5- and 6 thelweb- L' holders 290 areinA common practice'thin,

rigid sheet metal structures, occupying less than the space between the needles, as shown In order to providel a guide for the needlel against lateral strains which shall be effective upon it at the highestl point possible, I form in the face of the ring 297 shallow 0mide Grooves 312 which ma be substan D D 7 tially one-half the radial thickness of the needles, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. The relatively thin web-h olders may thus be guided in a position central between the needles by the grooves formed by walls 310, while the needles themselves are supported in a shallow groove 312 as far up as the plane 313 near the upper level 291 of the web-holders (see Figs. 5 and 8.)

So far as I am aware the needle-groove has in prior machines always stopped short of the position-of the web-holders, which have been provided with slotsl in a part of the needle carrier not constituting walls defining the needle grooves. With web-holders of any practicalth-ickness, their guide slots consume a great part of the space be-. tween the needles, leaving little room for walls to define a needle groove. But there is, even in fine gage machines, anappreciable difference between the space separating the needles, and the' necessary thickness of a web-holder, and I find that by making the grooves 312 suliiciently deep, I may ef' ficiently guide the needle. Such shallow grooves are practicable to mill, whereas a deeper groove would weaken the metal to a degree causing it tocollapse during manufacture. The needles are held in engagement with the grooves 312 by thefusual spring bands 263, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The support of the needles laterally by this device is sufficient to enable the accurate engagement of quills g of the transfer ring T when the needles are in the tuck pos1- tion shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

I may accomplish the same ends by the modified construction .shown in Figs. 9and 10, in which the guiding grooves 311 for the web-holders 290X are made of a'width taking all the space between the needles 11.,

the web-holders 290X being of a thickness tofill the grooves, and to themselves spa-ce the needles. In order to permit the needles to holder 290 extend high enough upon the needle to support it when it is in the position shown in Fig. 5, so that the head of the needle. shall not stand laterally out of its properly spaced position. The reduced portions 29-L are of an extent to permit the' free swinging movement of the needle latches during knitting.

As shown in Fig. 10 the reduced area 291 may extend through substantially only the upper half of the vertical dimensions of the web-holder, leaving the full thickness to guide the needles throughout the lower half, thus effecting the lateral guidance of the needles as far up as the level of the point 295, which is sufficient for the purpose required.

So far as described the machine has been provided with devices for leveling the needles and for spacing them to receive the transfer quills when Ylevel at their normal positionv on the ledge l, and the machine has .been stopped in this position. A transfer ring loaded with a new fabric section impaled loop by loop upon each of its points being provided, the operator of the luachine will as a hand operation liftthe latch ring, place the transfer ring in engagement with the needles in the position shown in Fig. 5, turn the fabric section down within the needle cylinder, and then remove the transfer ring, leaving the loops on the individual needles. This being done, the latch ring is returned to its normal position shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

The manual operations above mentioned may be rapidly performed and one of the objects of my invention is to Yavoid any further manipulation. I therefore provide that they machine shall automatically begin the knitting of the new fabric when started by the operator. Starting is done by lifting the belt-shipper latch 112, whereupon beltshipper slide 100 moves to the left, Fig. 3, as far as permitted by the level 106b of the stop cam to place the belt on the pulley 42, to drive the machine 'at an intermediate or slow speed. The next n )vement of the shaft 80 and the drum 120 therewith will cause the cam 121 to pass from under the thrust bar 460 to release the halfering 370, spring 379 causing the stitch cams G and 7 to move toward the center of the needle cylinder, and into a position to engage and actuate the needle butts, Owing tothe unbroken extent of the still level needles, these camscannot enter upon the needles, or pass to their extreme inward position except by long butt needle, shown at n in Fig; 12 will 705, see Figs. 11 and 14, is provided, which therefore be the first needle elevated to clear the loop of the transferred rib top below its latch, and the first needle to pass down the active slope of the stitch cam 6, the remaining long butt needles following it in order. When sufficientI of the long butt needles have passed the cams there are no longer any short butt needles opposite the faces of the cams and the spring 379 willthen move the half ring and the attached cams 6 and 7 to Atheir innermost position'in which they can egage and move allfof the needles. This .will occur when the last short butt needle n.220, Fig. 12, has passed olf the face of the cam 6.

It is necessary to effectively supply needle 'n' and the needle following it with yarn.

Merely permitting yarn to be fedvto the needles-at any point when the machine is starting upon a fresh operation, with a new l rib top on the needles, is not always sufficient to secure the taking of the yarn by v the leading long butt needle n. This is due tothe fact that the needles immediately preceding the needle n and constituting the following end of the shortbutt series, of which the needle 11.2.2 Ais the last needle,

are still in an elevated position. However Ae5 L that the withdrawal vmovement of the neeclose the end of the yarn guide may be to the circle swept by the hooks of the needles,

the yarn supplied will, by the rotationA of' themachine, lie upon a line tangent to the circle at a point well beyond the yarn guide. Referring now to Fig. 12, '1t will bevseen dle' n and those following it begins upon theirencounterwith the down-going slope` of' the cam 6 -at a point very nearv the vertical plane of the Ayarn guide. A yarn merely supplied to the .needles at any-time prior or during their rotation before thev employed for knitting upon rib-tops, in brderzto'sec'ure the certain taking of the yarn b .eheiileadin y. cams. v vlinorder tov avoidl this operation,

long butt needle when the rst'caused to enter the stitch which vv'colismne's time and requires skill, I may secure the takingof the. yarn by giving A tothel leading long-butt needle I11, a permavnent outward bend, as shown in Fig. 17, so that when .projected "it lwill stand forward out of ll1ne with the'other needles.. For machines capable of knitting'- plated fabrics I` prefer, however, to employ the following -devices.,-

onr

Upon the plate 602 `an upright rigid post carries the sleeve 706 having a lug 707 1n which is a horizontal bore 708, to receive an internal needle -cam-arm 700, which may be made as a wire arm having a bend-701 to contact with the needles at a point in the neighborhood of'the -vertical plane of the vleadingend of the active stitch jcam 6. The

cam arml 700 is adjustablyV held in place by a set screw 702. The sleeve 7 06 is under the ,inuence of a spring 709 held at one end by 4the set screw 702 land adjustably held at the other end by a bore 710 in a washer'711 held on the top of the post 705 by the screw 712. The spring 7 09 tends to remove the v camarm 7 00 from the position shown in Figs. 11

and 13, in which position it is adjusted tov Contact with and move a few of the needles outwardly substantially into contact with the inner face of the latch ring 300, as shown in Fig. 13, in which position the needle hook is well over a yarn taking the path 'y'.

. The sleeve 706 isprovided with a thumb piece 715 and with a lug 716, having a face radial with the post 705 to .engage the outer end of a stepped latch 717` mounted on the same pivot 607 as the yarn clamping lever 606,'which latch stands over the lever 606 as shown in Fi s. 1 and 11. The o'uter end of the latch 71 when in engagement with the radial face Vof the lu 716 will hold the cam-arm 700 in the descri ed position shown in Fig. 13 but when the latch 717 is elevated as by lifting thelever 606A the sleeve 706 is permitted to rotate through, a short` distance under the influence of the spring 709 until the lug v716 brings up against the' ste in the latch.

hen the device' is in use the 'operator will-set fthe lug 716 o p osite the end ofthe lever 717 by-means o the thumb piece'715 at the time of lifting the latch ring.' This may be done .without necessitating an extra movement of the hand. When the latch ring is restored to its normal position after the rib top needles w1ll be engaged and moved outwardly as shown in Fig. 13 when 'y the machine is rotated and this will continue to occur until the latch 717 has beenrmoved.

'The -drum 120, as described above, having been actuated to move thefthrust bar 460 to return the knitting cams t'o aposition from which they. pass into'their active position when ermitted by the butts of the needles, a furt er movement of the drum permitsthe end of the cam 503 to pass from the thrust bar 460 to placethe yarn guide F in its operative position shown` in Fig. 1. The movement which causes the cam 121 and the cam 503 to leave the ends o ftheir respective -thru'st,; bars may be the same movement, but this isn'ot essential. The cam 593 will be so placedwith respect to the surface of the hasbeen transferred, all of thev i drum 120 and the locus of its angular movement with respect to the rotation of the needle cylinder as to cause the yarn guide to drop into its operative position past the heads of the elevated needles so as to give the yarn to a. predetermined part of the following end of the short butt series pre.- ceding the long butt needle n first to be actuated. As shown in Fig. 12, the yarn has been dropped in between needles 11.215 and 91,2111. The inner end of the yarn y, which was cut at the end of the last operation, now rests under the clamp 606, from which it will be withdrawn by the rotation of the machine acting through the needle n.21, after the needle n shall have knit. The cam arm 700 has secured the taking of the first loop bythe needle a in the manner explained.

I thus secure leaving a short end only of yarn attached to the fabric at the beginning of the plain knitting, which end interlocks with a yarn of a, later course at a sinker wale aty the point where it entered the needles, such as the sinker wale between the knit wales from thel needles n.215 and um. This result is due to the yarn of the second course overlying the yarn of the first course at the needles intervening be` tween the entering point and the needle n',

'the yarn of the second course being' taken into the needle hooks and the yarn of the first course being cast off unknit except by the needle a and those following it. This engagement of the entering yarn with the Afabric at a point near the initial knit loop serves to prevent either the knitting movevment of the needle n or subsequent strain upon thev fabric from opening the first plain loop into a loose loop or eyelet hole, as is sometimes the case when the first-actuated needle is the first to engage the yarn passing to it from a point within the circle of needles, the yarn in the latter case having no frictional engagement with'the needlesy or fabric on one side of theknit loop.

Whether or not employing the bent needle n of Fig. 17 or the cam-arm 700, I find it desirable to deliver the entering yarn to the needles with as great accuracy as may be secured. Under some circumstances I find itdesirable, for insta-nce t0 apply the yarn of the needle nf in conjunction with either the bent needle of Fig. 17 or the use of the arm 700, it isa-.not necessary to provide for.

y*its accurate entrance within a margin of several needles, but that when it is required may therefore provide the machine with a cam 503 constructed as shown at 503a in Fig. 16. Said cam is fast upon the drum 120 i-n the same position as before, but its length is reduced by cutting off that end of it which last passes under bar 460C, as shown at a, Fig. 16. The cam is undercut at Z) to receive an adjustable spring extension c, slotted to receive a screw d for adjustment longitudinally of the body of the cam and adjustable radially of cam 120 by a headless screw c. The drum 120 may be bored out as shown at fto receive the head of the screw d. Y

The adjusted height with respect to the drum V120 of the extension c of the cam 503a is such as to cause the bar 460, at the time of the passage of the cam 121 from beneath its thrust bar, to permit said thrust bar 460c to fall far enough to hold the yarn hole in the end of the yarn guide F just above needles traveling at the level of the ledge 4. From this position, in which the yarn passes above and very close to the hooks of the needles,a minimum.movement of the yarn will secure its entrance between and taking by the needles. This movement occurs when the extension c passes from beneath the bar 460, on the next rack of the drum 120, as described above in connection with the cam 503. The timing of the drop from the end of the extension c may be delicately adjusted by moving the extension o circumferentially and locking the screw d, while the vertical position of the yarn may be delicately determined by the screw e.

All of the described operations at the beginning of an article will have taken place while the lug 114 is upon the intermediate level 106b of the cam 106 and therefore while the machine is running at a slow speed. The next movement of the shaft 8O and the drum 120 will permit the lug 114 to come against the face of the speedchanger cam 102, to cause the belt to pass on the-pulley 47, and the machine to attain its full speed. i

In order to avoid wear upon the needles, and a force tending to distort them sidewise during such times as they are lifted forthe heel and toe, I may remove the cam arm 700 from the position shown in Figs. 11 and 13, to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 13, by lifting the latch 717 through the agency of the clamp 606-. Iy may do this upon any movement of the drum 120 by providing a lug 5061 in the proper position, whichmay'be that atvwhich thelug will act to move the clamp when the speed is increased, as shown in Fig. 4. The actuation since there is then no yarn to cut, and since idle yarns held in the clamp 606 'will be under no tendency to be removed therefrom when it is lifted.

What I claim is 1. Ina knitting'` machine, a needle cylinder, needles, cams for moving the needles to knit, and means cooperating with the needles and cams to predetermine a cycle of knitting operations, l in combination with means acting automatically to adjust said cams during the cycle and prior to the end thereof to bring each of said' needles to a position intermediate of the extremes of its knitting movement to level ,the needles with respect to said cylinder.

2. In a knitting machine, a needle carrier normally in position for knitting, needles,

, cams for movingvthe needles to an advanced and to a retracted position for knitting, in combination with automatic fneans for mov- -:ing certain ofsaid cams only out of contact with said needles at a predetermined time, to bring said needles automatically to an intermediate` osition with respect to the norally positioned needle carrier. 3."'& circular knitting machin having in combination needles, cam and needle carriers relatively rotatable in a relation in which said needles are at a normal level with respect to their carrier, a stitch cam for moving said needles out of said level to knit, said stitch cam being movable away from said needle c rrier, and automatic means for moving sai stitch cam away from said nee'- dle carrier-at a predetermined time during operation of'said machine, whereby to bring the needles to said normal level.

et. A circular knitting machine having cam and needle carriers, and needles in said needle carrier, in combination with stitch cams,

a. mounting therefor movable `away from said needle carrier, and an automatically operated connection for moving said mountmg and stitchcams away from said needle .carrier at a predetermined time during relative rotation in' their normal relation for knitting of said needle and cam carriers,

whereby to level the needles.

5. A circularl knitting machine having in combinationL relatively rotatable cam and needle carriers, and needles in said needle carrier, in combination with aV mounting movable away from said needle carrier,

stitch cams on `said mounting and automatic means for moving said stitch cams into'operativeposition. and ou't of operative contact with said needles at predetermined times comprising a pattern surface, and a connection fromsald surface .for moving said' mounting away .from and toward said 'needle-earner during relative rotation of said f their knitting movements. f

carriers wherebyb respectively to render all of said needles inoperative and to resume termine needle-leveling and knitting move-A ments of said needles respectively comprising a pattern-actuated bar,n and means for causing movement of "said segment toward and away from said cylinder upon actuation` of said bar.

. 7. In a knitting machine, a needlecylinder normally in position` for knitting,' n eedles therein, knitting -cams for advancing and retracting the needles, means for leveling the needles and means for holding the needles in an evenly spaced relation with respect to said needle cylinder when in a normal position to receive a previously knitA fabric on a linev between their advanced and retracted positions.

8. In a knitting machine, movable needles,

cams for moving the needles to knit, and means coperating with the needles and cams to predetermine a cycle of lmitting operations, inA combination with means automatically acting during motion of the machine at the end of the cycle to cast the fabric from the needles, and means causing certain vof said cams., at a predetermined time thereafter to.- bring each of said needles to a position intermediate of the extremes of its knitting movement.

9. In a knitting machine, movable needles, cams for moving the needles to knit, and means coperating with the needles and cams topredetermine a cycle of knitting operations,'in combination with means act- -ing at the'end of the cycle to cast the fabric from "the needles, means-actingl thereafter for rendering certain of said cams inoperative upon said needlesto bring each of said needles to a position intermediate Vof the extremes of its knitting movement, and means acting thereafter to stop the machine.

10. In a knitting machine, independently I movable needles,` web-holders normally standing between the needles, knitting cams for advancing ,and retracting the needles, means acting ,to adjust said knitting cams to level the needles'to receive a previously knit 'fabric on a line between their advanced and their retracted positions, with their' heads projectedV 'beyond the web-holders, and means for causing the head lof each needle to occupy a plane central between the adjacent web-holders. Y

11. In aknitting machine, needles,jweb holders normally standing between the needles in apositiomto dene a relatively fixed plane at which the old loop is knocked over the new loop, meals for advancing and re- A. tracting the needles with respect to f I plane for-knittingT means to cast off the fabc ricfrom the needles'and means actmg on the needles to bring-the heads ofthe needles into'a plane parallel'with the .web-holders, and Vbetween the Aknocking-over plane-and the position of an advanced needle, acting 4at a predetermined time thereafter.

12. In a knitting machine, independently needles, web-holders standing between the needles, knitting cams for advancing and retracting the needles and means for leveling the needles toreceive-a previouslyknit fabric, -in combinavtion with means for laterally supporting the heads of the leveled needles.

13'. In a knitting machine, independently movable needles,` web-holders normally standing between'the needles, knittingv cams for advancing and retracting the needles land means for leveling the needles to receive a previously knit fabric, in combination with means for laterally supporting the lev'- eled needles at a point 4above the bottom edge of the web-holders.

14. In a knitting machine, independently movable needles, web-holders normally standingy between needles, knitting cams for advancing. and retracting the needles, and means for leveling the .needles 'to receive a previously knit fabric on ,a -linel between their-advanced and retracted position with their heads projected beyond the 'web-hold ers, in combination with means for laterally supporting the heads of the leveled needles.

'15. In a knitting machine, independently lmovable needles,\knitting cams for advancing. and re-tracti'ng the needles and means for leveling the needles to receive previously knit fabric on a line betweentheir advanced and their retracted positions, and web-holders normally standing between needles,` in` combination with means at I4the intersection of the needles and web-holders' for laterally supporting the heads ofthe leveled needles.

16. Ina knitting machine, a needle carrier, and a series of needles, a stitch. cam, and 'means to begin knitting comprising means to move a yarn into contact with the needles at a predetermined time, in combination with means toicause the stitch cam tobecome operative upon the needles at, av predetermined later time.

17. In a knitting machine adapted for v knitting a section of fabric upon a preneedle carrier and a series of needles, a

viously knitvsection transferred thereto, a

stitch cam, means 5to begin theoperation .comprising devices for placing ayarn on the needles in a predetermined relation to the needles, in. combination with means to cause the. stitch cam to become operative upon the series of needles at a predetermined point Y with relation vto the position of the yarn.

.18. In a knitting'machine, adapted for normally' ously knit sectiontransferred thereto, a

needle carrier and a series of needles, a stitch cam,`means t'o begin knitting comprising a yarn guide, and means for moving the ya'rn guide at a predetermined time to place a yarn in contact with the needles, in combination with .means tov cause the stitch` cam 'tobecome operative upon theneedles at a 'predetermined and later time. i

. 19. In a knitting machine adapted for 'knitting a section Iof fabricupon 'a'previo usly. knit section transferred thereto, a needle carrier and a series of needles, a stitch.

cam, means-to begin the operation compris v ing means for placing a yarn in contact with a predetermined part of the series ofneedles,

in combination with means automatically to cause the stitch cam to become operative upon a predetermined needlel and the followingneedles of the series.

y 20.' In a knitting machine, needle and cam carriers, needles, a stitch camand means for entering said cam into and for withdrawing said camv from contact '.with any of the needles at predetermined times during relative rotation between said needle and cam carriers, to level the needles, in combination -with ldevices for stopping the machine at a predetermined time after said cam is With'- drawn.

21. In a knitting machine, driving mechanismincluding automatic speed-changing devices, a stitch cam and means for holding said cam out of contact with any of the needles, and means for entering said camv into contact with the needles at a predetermined' time during the operation of the machine at -a reduced speed.

22. I n a knitting machine,'needle and cam carriers, needles, a stitch camrand meansffor entering said'cam into and for withdrawing said cam from contact with the needles at predetermined times during the operation of the machine, and devicesfor stopping the machine at a predetermined time after said cam is -withdrawn, in combination with means for predetermining a`-reduced` driving-speed for the machine when it is again started.

23. In a kitting machine, needle and cam' carriers, a stitchcam and Ymeans for withdrawingthe stitch cam from contact with the needles, at a predetermined time in' the Ioperation ofthe machine, and for thereafter stopping the machine, means to supply yarn to" the needles, means to restore the stitch cam to an operative position during another operation of the machine and means to render the yarn supplying means operative and inoperative -at predetermined times with relation to the times of the operative and in` operative' position of the stitch cams. I

24:. In a knitting machine having independently movable needles, devices-for level- .ing the needles for transfer comprising needle advancing and needle retracting cams fixed relatively tol their carrier, respectively for moving the needlesinto a position intermediate .the extremes of their movement, in combination with stitch cams for V25. In a circular knitting moving the needles above and'below said position, and means for removing said stitch cams from contact with the needles at predetermined times.

machine, vdevices for leveling the needles for transfer, comprising a cam carrier having advancing andv retracting cams thereon ina position to define a free level for the needle-butts with respect to said cam carrier, a stitch cam, andvmeans to move sald stltch cam 'radially out of contact with needles positioned at said level "at predetermined times.

.26. Ina knitting machine, a needle carrier and needles, a cam carrier having fixed advancing cams .and a fixed retracting center cam thereon in a position excluding a free level for' the needle-butts with respect to said cam carrier, stitch cams coperating with said center cam, and means to move said stitch cam out of contact with the needles during relativemovement of said carriers to bring said needles to said level.

27. In a knitting machine, a needle carrier and needles in combination with devices A.for leveling the needles for transfer, comprising a cam carrier having separated fixed advancing cams and a fixed retracting cam thereon in a position to define a free level -forv the needle-butts with respect to said cam-carrier, stitch cams"coperating with ,beenmoved. -having 'fixed advancing' cams and a fixed retracting center cam thereon in a position said retracting cam, means to move said stitch cams out of contact with needles p'osi-4 tioned at said 1evel,-and means for predetermining relative movement of-the needle and cam carriers after said stitch cams have 28. In a knitting machine, a cam carrier to 'dene a free llevel for the needle-butts with 'respect to said cam carrier, a leading stitch cam having anadvancing surface to encounter needles atsaid leveland a following stitch ca'mhaving a depressing cam surface coperating with'said center cam, in

'combination with automatic'devices acting to mo've said st itch cams out of contact with the needles to permit them to be positioned at said level at a predetermined time.

29. A knitting machine f or lln'iittingv on transferred fabric having iii-combination a seriesofhooked needles, ayarn guide and means for initiating knitting upon said series of needles while -they-are level comprismg means to operate the needles in series beginning at acertain needle, and means for moving said needles laterally out of line at the yarn feed point during the beginning of knitting, to secure the taking of yarn by the first actuatedneedle.

30. In a knitting machine a series of hooked needles, a yarn guide, means t0 cause relative movement for knitting between said yarn guide andsaid needles, means to initiate knitting movements of the needles beginning at a certain needle, and a' needle cam for moving needles vlaterally out of line to place the hooks y of the initially operative needles overthe yarn in combination with means to render said needle cam inactive at knit fabric, in combination with means to knit a new fabric comprising means to cause knitting vmovements at` a predetermined' time, beginning at a certain-needle of the series, and a yarn-guide active to .feed vthe new'yarn tofth'e level needles at a predetermined point in advance of said certain needle.

33. In a knitting machine for knitting upon transferred fabric, a series of needles normally level at the beginning of the operation, and means-to institute knitting beginning at a certain'needle of the series, comprising means to feed a new yarn to the needles at a predetermined point in the series preceding said certain needle in the di-v rection of knitting, in combination. wlth' means 4to movesaid certain needle and those following itout of line into contact with the Y 34. In a knitting machine, a series of needles, means to bring the needles to a level, a .stitch-cam, and means to move said cam into operative contact with the needles beginning at a certain needle; a movable yarnguide, and means to `render said yarn gulde operative to feed' a new yarn to the leveled needles, in combination. with devices coacting with said certain needle'and following needles to move them-"into contact with the new yarn.

35. In a knitting machine, a series of needles' means to'bring the needles to a level, a .stitch-cam, and means tmovesaid cam into operative contact with the needles beginning at a certain needle; a movable yarnguide, and means to render said yarn guide operative to feed a new yarn to tne leveled 1,150,547 I El needles, in combination With a device conume to this speciication in the presence of acting With said certain needle and followtwo subscribing Witnesses. ing needles to move them into Contact With ROBERT W. SCOTT. the new yarn, und pattern controlled means lVtnesses: 5 for rendering said device inactive. MARY F. GRIFFIN,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my MARGARET- I. GOOD. 

